Metal road-track



C. J. LINDEN.

METAL ROAD TRACK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1920.

1 ,3 0, 72 Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Qwvlq Linden;

IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY CHARLES J. LINDEN, OF IRON MOUNTAIN, MICHIGAN.

METAL ROAD-TRACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1920.

Application filed May 24, 1920. Serial No. 383,816.

1 '0 all whom it may, concern Be it known that I,'CHARLns J. LINDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at iron Mountain, Dickinson county, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Metal Road-Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to road building and has particular reference to rail-tracks for automobiles and other vehicles,designed to prevent the formation of deep and irregular ruts and to add to the life of the road. The object of the present invention is to provide improvements in track-rail constructions to the ends of simplifying the same, reducing the cost thereof, facilitating installations and repairs, and making available for this purpose standard plate-metal products. With these objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accon1- panying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure l'is a cross section'of a road with my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an inside view of one of the rails taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged rail section taken between abutting ends of connected rail sections, as on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the several views 2 represents an ordinary road bed into which is laid rails 3 and 1 embodying my invention, which rails are supported on more or less deeply embedded ties or planks 5. Each of the rails 3 and 4 is formed out of a sheet or strip of plate metal bent or folded upon itself longitudinally to form a vertical twoply supporting flange comprising layers or portions 6 and 7. From the latter preferably concaved tread or track portions 8 and 9. This form of rail is equally adapted to be made of two instead of only one plate, by making the parts 6 and 8 out of one strip and the parts 7 and 9 from another similar plate. The outer edges of the track portions 8 and 9 arerolled or bent under the body portions of the rails to form reinforcements or stiffening ribs 10 and 11 (Fig. 1). In Fig. 3 these rib por tions are enlarged as at 12 and 13 to engage the edges of a tie-plate or joint mem ber 14.- by means of which abutting rail sections are joined together, As shown in Fig. 3 the member 14: overlies and conforms with the contour of the rail portions 6 to 9. The joint plate is secured to the adjacent ends of railsections, which are substantially on tie line 33 of Fig. 2, by means of bolts 15, 1G, 17 and 18 which pass through the flange portions 6 and 7 and the parts of the member M which overlie the same. A flat bar 19, made of substantially the same material as that of which the rails are made, overlies the plank or tie 5 and has at its ends right angle upward bends which provide supports or standards 20 and 21 to which the flange 6, 7 is, as shown in Figs. 1 and '2, secured by bolts or rivets 22 and 23.

Where the road bed is made comparatively soft or non-rigid the upright portions 20 and 21 may be provided with braces 2 1 to be secured by bolts or rivets 25 and 26, but a well made concrete road bed would provide the necessary lateral support for said upright portions 20 and 21. The bars 19 may be secured to the ties by ordinary spikes 27 to hold them in place while the bed is laid over the ties and said portions 19.

As shown in the foregoing description of my invention its entire embodiment requires nothing but ordinary sheet metal and bolts and may be rapidly constructed by the ordinary rolling or stamping process. The sheet metal rails are also more flexible and adaptable to ordinary country roads than the rigid and costly rails approximating the usual railway construction which is also unavailable for general road building on account of the great cost thereof. The present form of construction also adapts itself to the road-bed where it settles more' or less unevenly, thus obviating rigid projections above the surface of the road-bed. For the use of vehicles generally, such as automobiles, wagons and the like, the chief object of the rail is to prevent the wearing of wheel ruts, and when this is accomplished the alinement of the rails to the extent needed for general roads will be sufficiently protected by the bed upon which the tread to form a supporting flange or web and tread portions bent out from said flange or web, and sheet metal spacers and supports for said rail having their ends bent upwardly and secured to said flange or web.

2. Track ails which consist of sheet metal 'rail formed with a tread and with a depending central flange consisting of two layers of sheet metal overlying each other, and tiebars having integral standard portions to which said flange is secured. 1

4. Track rails consisting of sheet metal, each rail formed with a dished or concaved tread and with a two-ply central flange, the edges of said tread portion being folded over to form a double thickness stiffening rib for the opposite edges of said tread portion.

5. Track rails formed ofstrips of sheet metal each bent upon itself toform a twoply wedge or flange and then bent laterally to form a two-part tread, and combination tie and spacer bars and standards secured to said web or flange.

6. A track consisting of rails each made of flat plate metal having a central double thickness web and tread portions with reinforced edges or stifl'ening ribs, tie rods be tween said rails with upstanding standard portions to which said webs are secured, and ties upon which said tie rods and standard portionsare mounted. v

7. A track consisting of rails each made of flatplate metal having central and double thickness web and tread portions with reinforced edges, tie-rods with integral bent up post or standard portions to which said webs are secured, and coupling members connecting adjacent ends of rail sections which coupling members consist of substantially U-shaped portions'within which said web is held and laterally extending portions which support thetread portions of the rail.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name;

' CHAR-LES J. LINDEN. 

